Take away Or not
by Lockiagirl
Summary: Sherlock and John are eavesdropping a couple during dinner. At some point Sherlock decides to call Lestrade. When Lestrade suddenly disappears, Sherlock wants to find out what happened. But then Mycroft has to mess things up.
1. No take away

**Take away... or not**

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, just having fun with them.  
Authors note: This is my first fanfic Wholock in English, not beta'ed. My apologies for any mistakes I made. If you can manage to skip them, have fun. A review would be appreciated.

**Quote:**  
You can always tell a good Chinese place by examining the bottom third of the door handle.  
_Sherlock_

**Chapter 1 No take away**

After the death of the cabbie and the meeting with Mycroft they went to the Chinese. A lot of tables were occupied but they managed to find a table surrounded by a few empty ones.

As they both took place, a young couple came in and took the table next to theirs. After they were settled, and both were looking at the menu the man asked "What are you thinking about?"

She sighed "About River. How's she doing?

"Yeah," he replied. "I wonder If she's still with the Doctor. Or if she's back in jail. Or both."

Although their booth was separated by a wall with two pots of flowers on it, it still was possible to overhear the people at the other table. So when the word 'jail' dropped, Sherlock's attention was triggered. So a criminal then, that River. He shoved his chair a little to the couple, just to hear more of the conversation. Probably the conversation would be become boring very soon, he thought. But he would like to know about a criminal called River if she was a big one but he hadn't heard about her.. Maybe abroad? Or just for penny theft.

He turned his head to the right to watch the couple closely. It was just an ordinary couple. The young man was obviously a nurse. He could tell by the way the man watched his watch as if counting for a heartbeat and the young redheaded woman was the feisty one in the relation. He assumed people would think of her as pretty. She had certainly worked as a model.

He looked at John again who wasn't aware of the thoughts of Sherlock, although John suddenly saw Sherlock not starting to eat his starter which was just delivered.

"Isn't it good?" John asked.

"Yes, it is, I'm not that hungry."

"But you haven't eaten in days."

"That's exaggerated."

"Well, you must eat something, Doctor's orders."

It was as if the word 'Doctor' was a trigger for the couple next to him to start the conversation again.

"Where would he be" the woman asked.

"Probably talking himself into trouble again." replied the man. "And talking him out of it"

"Yeah, probably," she sighed. "I miss him though." And with a smile in her voice she said "I don't assume that the Prime Minister of the Daleks is asking him for tea again, after the trick he pulled off." And in a more serious voice she stated "At least if it wasn't for them, we'd been divorced, thanks to that woman."

What woman? No, not the Woman. They certainly aren't the right clientele for her. So common, Sherlock thought. Prime Minister of the Daleks? Which country are they referring to?

Unaware of their neighbours the nurse said "It really was the craziest battle I have encountered. All those stories you told about the madman with a box. If I hadn't been there myself I probably wouldn't have believed those stories. Did you know that he chased the Atraxi off a planet. And then called them back for a scolding! He even send me to the Cybermen, knowing I was protected. To be honest, even if it wasn't save, nothing on earth could stop me to get you back".

"What did you say to them."

"I said, I have a message and a question. A message from the Doctor and a question from me. Where is my wife? Oh don't give me those blank looks. The twelfth Cyber Legion monitors this entire quadrant. You hear everything. So you tell me what I need to know. You tell me now and I'll be on my way. The Cyberman asked: "What is the Doctor's message?" I really think he shouldn't have asked that because at the same time the Doctor blew up a whole Cyber Legion. I just said "Would you like me to repeat the question?" You know, they can't ever show any emotion, but I noticed fear there. Cybermen in fear."

In admiration Amy said: "My hero." After a few seconds she said. "River was right. They are afraid of him when they hear his name. Doctor. Mighty Warrior. The man who could turn an army around at the mention of his name."

Sherlock thought this over. Could it be a synonym for Moriarty? Were they in league with him?

"You know," Rory continued, "I spoke to Dorium Maldovar in the Tardis before battle. The Doctor picked him up as well. He wasn't pleased with the situation, but probably he owned the Doctor a debt too." He told us that Madame Kovarian and Colonel Manton came to see him for information because they hadn't heard anything about the Doctor's moves. He warned them they had pricked the side of a mighty beast (the Doctor wasn't pleased with that description) and that they entirely failed to run. They didn't believe the stories about the Doctor. He said "they're not stories, they're true. If that man is collecting his debtors, God help you, and God help his debtors." He also told us that he told them that the name of the base "Demon's Run was based on a very old legend but they wouldn't believe that either. _Demons run when a good man goes to war Night will fall and drown the sun When a good man goes to war Friendship dies and true love lies Night will fall and the dark will rise When a good man goes to war Demon's Run, but count the cost The battle's won but the child is lost. _The Doctor wasn't pleased when Dorium quoted this. No, no, no he yelled. Something to do with a fixed point in time. I should have known than that we wouldn't succeed.

"With a sad sigh Amy said: "Yeah, we lost Melody. I told her before they took her away from me that you would come for her. And you did. The last centurion."

"Once a soldier, always a soldier.

You still look handsome in that outfit you know.

This time John, watching Sherlock not eating but noticing that Sherlock listened to the conversation next to him, heard the word battle and heard the man next to him proclaim he'd been a soldier. He had listened to the couple's conversation, but hadn't paid any attention to it. Now he was also triggered.

He looked at the young man. He'd always thought that he could recognize a soldier because he had been one too, but this man didn't make any sense.

The couple was quiet again.

John looked at Sherlock and said "I can't see that he's has been one. Do you see it? You must see it".

Sherlock was taken back from his deductions and watched John watching him. He saw the hopeful gaze John gave him. He squeezed his eyes. "No", he finally said.

"Is he lying then? But his wife, I assume if she's his wife she knows him to be one."

"Come on, John, a centurion. How medieval is that. Must be something of a play they are rehearsing."

The couple, still unaware of their neighbours, starting the conversation again.

"We had Mels."

"Oh Mels, Amy said with a big smile. What a bad, bad girl she was."

"She's still a bad girl." If the Doctor hadn't saved her in Berlin.

"That's who he is. Giving his life to save others and they're made for each other."

The pair didn't notice they were being observed and eavesdropped, the woman continued the conversation.

"Do you remember Brian's remark, when we're on that ship with all the animals, saying that he has balls in his pockets to get the triceratops to walk? Tricey, fetch!"They both giggled. " I can imagine how shocked the both of you must have looked. Especially the Doctor. If he wasn't married to our daughter, I would have guessed that he was asexual, but I know from Madame Vastra that he had a granddaughter. He left her behind in the sixties our seventies because she found a boyfriend. I guess that's why he's so sad. No one left in the whole wide universe.

John and Sherlock looked at each other. They both looked shocked. At least John, but Sherlock's eyes were squeezing so although he didn't show it, the announcement of their daughter being married to a man who already had a granddaughter which he left in the sixties or seventies must be at least 80 years old. Probably 90. And the couple was young. So. The man must be a pervert and the couple must have received a lot of money or otherwise you wouldn't give your child to a man that old to be his wife. At the utmost the child could be 12 years if the woman had given birth when she was 16 because older than thirty was not thinkable. She was probably younger. Or maybe the mother was twelve, giving birth. But noticing their clothes, they didn't seem very rich. And it didn't make sense because that man had raised an army to get the mother back. At that age being so vital. And... Still it didn't make any sense. The story was complete nuts.

"Jenny told me," the man stated, "he had a daughter to. Also called Jenny. Born in battle. More made in battle. They cloned him she said. But she died in his arms during war. Sad enough not enough genes of him in her. She didn't came back.

John looked at Sherlock. He mimicked with his mouth" cloned him?" A very big question mark on his face. "Didn't came back?"

Sherlock still squeezed his eyes. If this story would continue the way it did, he probably wouldn't get his eyes back in normal position.

The pair were silent for a moment. Than the man continued "But if River wasn't a naughty girl, I would still think that the Doctor is asexual. Although I still can see him jump out of the cake on my stag night, saying you kissed him and that you were a good kisser and I was a lucky man and that outside a girl in a bikini was standing who was a slight diabetic and needed a jumper. Not quite knowing why she was there in a bikini in the first place. Must have her talked out of the cake. I still wonder how he got away from that without being beaten up.

"Well," she said "after dealing with so many enemies, which he defeated, a few guys are of course peanuts to him. After all, we're only human. After all he's a genius. Faking his own death. He always can save himself because he sees danger miles away coming for him and then he even jumps into it, otherwise it is so boring.

Yep, remember the slow invasion? He just sat on the couch with us for a few days and got wild? Then he got up because he was so bored and he just painted our fence, cleaned the entire house, mowed our lawn, played ball and was back within the hour? Since we're both working it would be lovely to have him back just cleaning our house in 5 minutes flat. He may come every week."

"He gave us an Ood temporarily. Who can say that.

"Yeah. That was weird. It's better than a dishwasher. He even made breakfast."

Still, we have to decide. The Doctor's life or our life. Adventure or boredom. Churchill, Hitler or just our bosses.

"Can be scary to if you let them."

As they had finished their meal, they stood up and left the table.

"Well," John said, "that was quite entertaining", looking at Sherlock.

Sherlock looked at him and replied "Boring. I really hope John, you didn't believe those crazy stories."

As they walked out, they saw the couple walking on the other side of the street. They heard a whoosh, whoosh sound and saw the couple suddenly standing still, looking at each other, giving each other very big smiles, and then started running to where the sound came from.

Sherlock didn't hesitate and started immediately running after the couple, because although he wouldn't admit it, he was intrigued by the couple. The sound. He was intrigued by the sound. They looked ordinary but he had spotted something else but he couldn't figure out exactly what it was. John followed Sherlock. The whoosh sound had stopped. They saw the couple running into an alley and when they came there, they heard a door slammed and saw a blue police box from the sixties. The whoosh whoosh sound started again and box started to face in and out a few times and disappeared.

"Where did they go"? John asked, in the meantime trying to get his breath back. "Where are they? We definitively saw them going into this alley. There is no entrance anywhere and this alley has a dead end. Did they go into that blue box and where did that go? Sherlock?"

Sherlock narrowed his eyes. "I don't know". I assume the madman with the box came to let them have another adventure if you prefer to believe their stories. Probably we have been eating hallucinating mushrooms. There are no such things as flying boxes." And with this said he turned his back to the alley and yelled "Taxi".


	2. The next meeting

**Chapter 2 The next meeting**

A few months later after solving another case, Sherlock and John decided to go to the Chinese again. This time they picked another. Although they never spoke about it, the strange disappearance of the couple still played in their head. When John thought about it, he noticed after the event that the next days, Sherlock was in deep thought. Probably thinking the scene over and over again and not coming to a conclusion. It must have been a magic trick. But that's weird. Why do a magic trick in a dead end alley with no audience. Why should you do a magic trick. But he had seen it as well. The box faced in and out and disappeared, including the couple. Yeah. Must have been the mushrooms. Definitively.

As soon as they were in the restaurant and had taken place and ordered their food, a young couple came in, followed by a young man who was wearing a strange outfit complete with bow tie, suspenders and a out of date coat. Before they knew it, the couple started sitting next to their table although this time the booths were separated by a wall with glass.

John and Sherlock threw a look at the couple and to their surprise it turned out to be the same couple as last time.

"Not again" murmured John. What do you think? Will there be mushrooms in our food or should we skip the meal and just order rice. I don't assume there are mushrooms in that, do you?"

"Shut up John, "You know as well as I, that last time we didn't eat any mushrooms at all.

"Then why did you blame them.

"Because, and he spoke with a angry voice "I couldn't come up with an explanation for the things we saw.

"Right," stated John.

After a while he continued. "So, we'll be entertained tonight again. Well. 'Let's enjoy our meal than and the conversation.

"Boring. Just chit chatter without any meaning".

The man in the strange outfit sat with his back to them and the couple sat both ways of him.

The young man was overexcited and waved his hands while he spoke to the couple. "Oh, it is so nice to take me to a restaurant. It's been ages I have visited a restaurant. Well, ages. Last time it was in Cardiff and I had dinner with the major. Well, the major. In fact she was from Raxicoricofallapatorius. The Tardis turned her into an egg again. So she could start all over. Did you know she was also responsible for blowing up Downing Street 10 with her family? Her family blew up as well as I remember correctly. She was quite good at scheming. Hope she's doing ok now.

John looked at Sherlock and said: "are they terrorists?"

"Of course not" Sherlock replied, "can't you see, he's a nurse and she worked as a model. Although that Doctor guy is different. He could be. You heard them last time when they said he blew up a Cyber Legion just to make a point.

As if not being overheard by their neighbours the Doctor continued his conversation. "Well, what's the occasion? You didn't swallow a planet did you?" referring to the trip in the Tardis with the Dreamlord and she was pregnant.

Amy's face in an instant became sad. "Doctor, please, don't mention it."

"What's wrong. Can't I fix it?"

"No Doctor, they did something to me when I was captured at Demon's Run. We can't have kids anymore."

Sherlock had watched the man when he came in and he had deduced him. At least he had tried to deduce the man but it was hard. His outfit was weird and the man behaved like a five year old but he noticed the eyes were different. He couldn't tell who the man was.

Although Sherlock and John couldn't see the man's face, they noticed that the attitude of the man had changed. Sherlock noticed a certain tension of anger around him. He thought back at the other conversation a few months ago where the couple mentioned that he could raise an army with just debtors. He would believe it now, not even seeing the man face to face.

Amy laid an hand on the Doctors arm and said "It's ok, Doctor. We have accepted it. So you must accept it too. But next time when she's up to something and you meet her. Don't hesitate. No second chances, yeah? Ok, let's drop it. We didn't come here to talk about that."

"Doctor," and her tone sounded a little happy again, "we have a surprise for you. It's a surprise for us too because River is also coming. So my whole family at one table. My husband, daughter and son-in-law. Really. That last thing is strange."

"Yeah," said Rory, "does it even count? Because it was in another timeline."

Suddenly he heard a voice behind him who said: "It better be. Hello Sweetie. Hello mum and dad."

"River," Amy exclaimed.

"Hello River," Rory said. "Lovely to see you again."

The woman had a naughty look upon her beautiful face surrounded by a bunch of curls. She wore a long black dress and red high heels. She looked older than the couple and the claimed husband. She walked over to the Doctor and gave him a kiss. He reacted embarrassed. "River, we have public."

"Yes, we have" she replied with a big smile and sat down on the other side of the table.

As John and Sherlock watched the woman, even John could tell. She meant DANGER. He didn't wanted to say it but before he knew it, he sighed "wow, she's Irene Adler all over. I guess Irene could learn a trick or two from that women."

Suddenly realizing what he just said, he blinked at Sherlock. Sherlock's eyes were fixed upon the woman. John could see his big mind trying to work all the details out but by the way Sherlock was watching it seemed that it wasn't something he could do in a heartbeat.

Sherlock looked up at John, trying to take in the sentence John just said.

"Yes John, you would know from the last conversation that they said she's doing time or she did time, because she's now here. Of course she's dangerous."

"How's Stormcage, River, Rory asked, "are you coping?"

"Stormcage is history. They pardoned me. They couldn't find any files about the Doctor anymore. So. It seemed I didn't kill anyone in the first place."

"Well," the Doctor said, "you didn't, did you. After all I'm still here."

"But I did kill you Doctor. I gave you the kiss of death. The Judas kiss."

"Ok, but after that you gave me the kiss of life. All your regenerations in one kiss. What a first date it was he said with a smile."

"River, I'm glad you brought him back after your Judas kiss" Amy said, laying her hand on the hand of her daughter. I can't imagine the universe without him."

"I think the universe can. Remember the Pandorica They tried really hard, you know."

" Please don't talk about the Pandorica," Rory said. "It was the worst day of my life"

Amy responded feisty. "Yeah, serves you right. You shot me. I died in your arms."

"I warned you to stay away from me."

"How could I. I found you again after you disappeared from existence. Would you have done it?"

The Doctor yelled. "Kids. stop it. It´s too timey-wimey."

"Ok, so, now we're all together, the reason we're here" Amy said, "we have something for you. River told us that it is probably your birthday somewhere in this month or something so we bought you a little present." With this said, she gave a parcel which seemed to have a painting inside.

With a twinkle in his eyes he said "It is not a Van Gogh is it? I still have his Krafayis impressionism in the Tardis."

Rory asked: "You met Van Gogh"?

"Yes," the Doctor said, "nice fellow, though he wanted children by the dozen with Amy."

Amy smiled innocently at Rory. "Really, lovely bloke. But although you were wiped out of existence, I declined. Think of the children. They would have had the most ginger hair you could have think of. You can't do that to your kids, can you?" looking with a big smile at River. "And no, before you ask, Rory really is your father. And no Doctor," looking at the Doctor now, "it isn't a Van Gogh."

As the Doctor unwrapped it, he exclaimed: "Beautiful. I love it. The whole gang. I shall ask the Tardis to make me a beautiful room so I can watch it."

Inside was a picture, poster size, of the Doctor with on his right side Amy and Rory and on his left, Cleopatra and Riddell, all arms around each other. In front of him was Brian all wearing big, big smiles. On the background and foreground you could see a bunch of sleeping or dead dinosaurs. Amy and Riddell wearing very big guns.

Because John and Sherlock were also looking at the painting what turned out the be a poster John exclaimed to Sherlock "that's Lestrade! How did he come up in that picture? Did they Photoshop him or do they know him?"

"John, do you recognize the guns? What kind of guns are those. And do you also see a bunch of dinosaurs. It must have been photoshopped but why's not the wife in the picture? Where was she? Doing time?

That old man was clearly Rory father, he could tell by the structure of bones. The woman wearing Egyptian clothes looked like she was heading for a party as Cleopatra but Lestrade. His hair looked different and he was younger there and his hair wasn't grey. But Amy and Rory were just as young on the picture as now today, so how could it be Lestrade. Maybe he had a twin or a sibling. Sherlock wanted to know.

"John, I will text Lestrade to come over. Immediately."

"Are you sure?"

"I want answers John. And I don't find them here."

After Sherlock had texted Lestrade, they waited. The four still talking about things that didn't make sense. After 15 minutes Lestrade walked in.

Sherlock watched the group closely and saw the face of Amy lightening up seeing Lestrade walking in. "John," she exclaimed. "John Riddell."

After that, Rory looked back and the Doctor looked up an watched the man coming to them.

The Doctor said: "It isn't Riddell, Amy. I left him with Neffy in Africa. Maybe it's his great-grandson. I wonder."

Before Lestrade could walk over to Sherlock, the Doctor stood up from the table, walked over to Lestrade and said. "Do you have a great-grandfather named Riddell?"

Lestrade looked up at Sherlock and saw that Sherlock was watching the group. He must have a reason to text me and ignore me so let's give this people some attention then. He was taken aback by the question of the Doctor, not expecting to be asked about his great-grandfather in the first place.

"I think I did," he said. "My grandmother's name was Riddell, so I guess my great-grandfather's name was Riddell too."

"Well, come with me then," the Doctor said. "I have something to show you. Did you know that he was a great hunter in Africa. He really was a naughty boy. Good with guns. Good with women too" muttering the last sentence.

As he came to the table, he introduced himself as Greg Lestrade.

The Doctor pointed at Amy, Rory and River and said: "That's Amy, Rory and River Pond and I am the Doctor. Amy said: "please sit down. "You know, you look so much like your great-grandfather. Would you like to see?"

Astonished Lestrade agreed, not knowing what scheme they were up to, but trusting Sherlock to be a backup on the next table, he thought that it wouldn't hurt to find out. They gave him the picture. As he watched, Sherlock saw disbelieve and acceptance upon his face.

"I didn't know you had a picture of him too," Lestrade said. "I have only one picture of him. I knew it was family because the resemblance is there. I don't have any information about him."

"John Riddell" Amy said with a sigh. What a flirt that man was. See the woman next to him? That's queen Nefertiti. Queen of Egypt. Although she was married, he managed that she would go on a holiday with him."

"Well," the Doctor stated, straitening his bowtie. "Just for a week. She made him a necklace of teeth. Do you have a necklace of teeth? " the Doctor asked Lestrade.

Absentminded Lestrade answered "Yeah." He was still shocked by the fact that they had a picture of his great-grandfather. Not really shocked by that fact but more shocked by the fact that the people in the picture were as young as the people sitting there. "How is this possible?"

As if the Doctor suddenly knew there were eavesdroppers he leaned over to Lestrade and whispered "I have a time-machine. I can go anywhere in time and space and meet anybody whenever I want. Do you want to find out?"

As Lestrade watched the faces of his table fellows he saw that they were very serious. It couldn't be true, could it? No, it must be a scheme. Although, how could they know he had a necklace made of teeth.

He exclaimed: "It can't be. Of course I want to find out. Show me" thinking if it was a scheme, he could arrest them.

They all stood up and Amy said: "Come." She gave him a big smile and hooked his arm. "You're gonna love it."

Before Sherlock and John knew it, the four with Lestrade were already near the door.

"Come on, John, I want to know what they have said to him that he's so willingly following them. We must give him backup.

They saw them running to the alley.

"Not again," John moaned.

Just as they arrived they heard the whoosh woosh again and saw something blue facing in and out.

"That went well" John stated. Now we still don't have any answers and now Greg is gone as well.

"He'll be back" Sherlock replied.

"How are you so sure."

"Because of the couple."

"How"

"It's easy John. Last time they disappeared in this alley. Today we saw them in the restaurant. So, they did return. So shall Lestrade. But it's terrible not knowing where he is and how he disappeared in the first place.

"I guess you just have to wait till he returns then. Luckily we didn't have mushrooms this time.

"Shut up John. Let's go back to the restaurant."

"Why"?

You must have noticed they did leave in a hurry. The so called Doctor left the picture near the table. If we take it home we're sure they'll come to us to collect it. Mycroft would be pleased if I could tell him there is a new dangerous man in town.

He turned his back to the alley and walked back to the restaurant leaving John behind. John thought it over and rushed after Sherlock.

"Admit it," he said, "you can talk all you want about helping Mycroft in saving the British Empire from terrorists, but that's what you're not after. You don't know anything about them and how they disappear. And it's eating you. Right, let's get the poster and go home."


	3. A mad man and his box

**Chapter 3 A mad man and his box**

After Sherlock and John returned home with the poster the Doctor left behind, Sherlock immediately scanned the photo to see if he could detect the added pixels in the photo. Especially around Lestrade and the dinosaurs. He barely took the time to take his coat off. John went to the kitchen to make some tea.

When he returned with the tea he said: "Sherlock, how can you possibly know for sure that Lestrade will come back. Maybe he was tricked and became abducted by those folk. Maybe he found something at the Yard but hasn't put the dots together but they knew he had information about them. Maybe they wanted to get rid of him so he can't arrest them. You heard them talk about manslaughter. The couple is ordinary but the man and the woman are screaming 'dangerous'. They must have tricked him. He went willingly with them" the last sentence spoken in a worried tone.

"Sherlock?"

"Sherlock!"

Sherlock looked up from the poster and looked at John. It took a while before Sherlock processed John's question. Then Sherlock stretched his back and dropped in the chair near the fireplace and put the photo next to him.

"Don't be ridiculous John" he said." You were there. You know that Lestrade only came after I texted him. Otherwise he wouldn't have been there in the first place and so there wouldn't be any luring by those folk. Second. They were all pleased to see him. And although he didn't turn out to be the person in the picture they still were pleased to see him. So your theory about him being abducted or even killed is ridiculous. But the point still stands. When will he be back? Where did they take him in the first place? What did they say that he was eager to join them. We saw them running to the alley and we saw something blue disappear what seems to be a Police Public Call Box from the sixties. How do they all fit in that small box? So, it must be a portal to someplace else. But where too. Who has such technology. And you say the couple is ordinary but that's not true. They look ordinary but their daughter is older than they are. The man is different. It seems that he has seen a lot during his lifetime and I don't mean his short lifetime but a lifetime of a few thousand years. So is she. She has seen and experienced a lot too. You heard she said that she was shot and died in the arms of her husband. And look at their guns John," taking up the picture again and putting that in John's hands who sat opposite him. "These guns don't exist in our world."

John watched the picture, especially the mentioned guns. It took some time to register what Sherlock had said and with a shock he pulled his eyes of the picture and looked into Sherlock's eyes.

"What?" he said. "What?" he exclaimed. "You mean aliens?"

"You know my rules, don't you? Whenever you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how mad it might seem, must be the truth. If you put their conversation on the alien scale and the disappearance of a blue box with at least five people in it and the picture with dead dinosaurs and weapons from the future or from some other alien planet then you must come to the conclusion that they are not from earth. At least the man and woman aren't. The couple are just friends who are in for the ride or the thrill. You said yourself that that man was dangerous. He takes them with him and puts them in danger too. The woman comes and goes as she pleases.

"Really, aliens? You know I believe in the solar system but I never heard of life on other planets. Or is the government covering up?" John said in an unbelievable tone. "Would Mycroft know?"

"Mycroft," Sherlock said with a scornful voice. "He might be the British Government, but this he certainly fails to understand. Aliens. If they would exist in Mycroft's world, he would have been bald by now, considering how many times he strikes through his hair when nobody sees him when he must solve a problem."

Suddenly Sherlock stopped talking. John could see that Sherlock got a brainwave.

"Oh," Sherlock said clapping his hands together, steepling his hands under his chin. "Oh. He does know." His eyes began to shine. "Of course. It makes sense."

John looked at Sherlock. "It makes sense? What makes sense"

"John, remember the hoax they spread when there was an accident in Downing Street in 2005 or 2006. There was some gas leak and there was a woman who was the only survivor I believe. You voted her. I forgot her name. Not important anyway." murmuring the last sentence. "Later something happened with Christmas when a lot of people were standing on a roof top. They covered it up with a chemical defect in some installation and that some people were contaminated doing weird stuff like standing on a rooftop. You know, during dinner the man said that he had dinner with the major of Cardiff."

John not really remembering that particular piece of the conversation during their dinner just looked at Sherlock and just said: "Yeah? What about it" fishing for information, trying to fool Sherlock that he still remembered that part. To be honest. He didn't think it was possible, because Sherlock gave him a kind of a look together with a smirk.

"As I remember correctly, the man said he had dinner in Cardiff with the major of some place called Raxacorico something. She was good in scheming and she was responsible for the destruction of Downing Street together with her family. He said that her family also was killed during the destruction and that he turned her back into an egg. First, in the whole world there is no place which starts with Raxacorico and second there was a female major who suddenly disappeared from Cardiff around 2005 or 2006. So, that place must be alien and it seems that that man was responsible for the disappearing of said major.

"Doctor," John said as suddenly a remembrance popped up. "I believe they said Doctor to him. What kind of a name is that?"

With this info Sherlock searched on the internet. Although he remembered the conversation, the name of the Doctor he had forgotten. He really was bad with names. Not that he really cared. Lestrade's first name he also couldn't remember but Lestrade phoned him anyway. He typed 'Doctor' and 'blue box'. He found a page about A mad man and his box and Harriet Jones (now he remembered but still not important so he deleted it immediately). Even a page where there was a quote « You know the sound the TARDIS makes? That wheezing, groaning? That sound brings hope wherever it goes. To anyone who hears it, Doctor. Anyone. However lost. Even you _(authors note: I found this Quote when searching for Doctor and Blue Box So I borrowed it. Thanks Klaire)._ He remembered that wheezing groaning sound. He wouldn't have described it that way but it was a good description. So the blue box must be called the TARDIS whatever name that was. Must be an acronym. And it brought hope. Even to the Doctor himself? He took his phone and started texting.

"The Doctor is in Town"  
SH

"Who are you texting?" John asked.

"Mycroft"

"Of course he is. He's living with you"  
MH

"The Doctor and his TARDIS"  
SH

Before they knew it Sherlock's phone rang.

"I thought you might be interested but I thought you see everything with your surveillance camera's all over the city. Didn't you notice? We had dinner with him" skipping the fact that there was a small wall between them.

"Where did you meet"

"Phoenix Palace" Sherlock responded with some sort of an enthusiastic tone. I can recommend it."

Mycroft sighed.

"How do you know the Doctor?" he asked with a weary voice.

"Quite simple really. We bumped into his in-laws a couple of months ago. So now we were there to celebrate the Doctor's birthday."

John looked astonished. The fact that Sherlock twisted the truth into something he could use was a given fact to him but it still amazed him when he saw it happen and that people fell for it. Although he didn't believe Mycroft would buy Sherlock's act.

"So, celebrating a birthday of a son-in-law of a new met couple then. I always assumed you weren't someone for birthday parties because they were so boring, but I seemed to be wrong. Are you starting to become a goldfish?"

"No, those goldfish days are still far away and the man is quite entertaining.

"Tell me, why are you interested in the Doctor?"

"I would like to know if you have his phone number."

"Why"

"Isn't it obvious?"

"Why you want to call him?"

"I have something for him."

"What"

"Isn't that something between the Doctor and me?"

"I can't help you brother dear."

"Then why asking questions in the first place. Well, when he comes back I'll ask him myself."

"When he comes back. Are you sure he comes back?"

"Yes, because he has something from me as well." With this said he ended the conversation.

"Will you enlighten me, please? What was that all about. And what does the Doctor have what belongs to you" John asked.

Sherlock looked at him and smirked. "Mycroft definitively knows the Doctor and has probably his phone number as well. He is very protective about the Doctor. I am sure that our flat will be watched more than ever and that he will call him. Now we can wait. The Doctor will come to us. After all, he must bring back Lestrade, otherwise I will get bored and start shooting Mrs. Hudson's wall. Again."


	4. The phone call

**Chapter 4 The phone call**

It had been a week and still there was no sign of Lestrade and that Doctor guy. He had texted him. Several times. But after no response he even phoned him. Still no response. Sherlock became very impatient and the wall had it coming. A few more holes joined the old ones and the face was barely recognizable anymore. When John came back from shopping he smelled the gunpowder and saw the damage Sherlock had accomplished. John made a mental note to buy some putty or cement to fill the gaps and maybe, maybe maybe, some yellow paint too. He looked at the wallpaper but decided that was definitively out of the question.

"What did the poor wall do to you to deserve such a treatment " John asked, walking over to Sherlock and took away his gun. As soon it was quit Mrs. Hudson came upstairs, knowing of course that John would be there too and muttered to Sherlock.

"I'm bored" he said with a growling voice. He dropped himself on the couch.

"You behave like a petulant child, Sherlock" she said. "You make so much noise I can hear you downstairs. Oh," she exclaimed after seeing the wall, "look what you did to my wall. You gonna pay for this young man. I want my wall repaired. Can't you buy a big target and place that on the couch?"

"Boring" Sherlock replied. "And what's the fun in a big target. It might drop when you shoot at it and then we have to climb behind the couch to retrieve it and then when you shoot at it again it disappears behind the couch again. That's boring. At least the wall stays at the same place."

John glanced at Mrs. Hudson and he saw she was not amused by his answer but he could tell she loved him anyway although she named him a clot sometimes. She turned to him and said: "You look after him now, will you? I don't want to find a hole in the wall soon. Think of the enormous draft and the raising heating costs then. And repair it she said when she left the room.

"Sure" John said, not knowing for sure if with this giving answer he not only agreed with Mrs. Hudson's remark about looking after Sherlock but also about the hole, the draft and the heating cost and his agreement to fix it. He walked over to his chair and took his laptop.

"I will see if there were any e-mails so that there may be some cases you can solve" John said.

"I already did that." Just a two and a three. Boring. Not even a six. Nothing."

"So, you cracked my password again?"

"You have such predictable passwords. A child could guess them."

"Ok, no e-mails then. Maybe Mycroft has something to do for you."

"I don't work for the British Government" he said in a despised voice. He has a whole lot of minions to do the job for him."

"Ok, let's go out to have dinner then."

"Dinner? Again? Do you think we would meet the couple again? That's a 50/50 chance."

"Well, more chance if we go out in the first place then staying at home," John replied.

Sherlock thought it over and sighed and stood up from the couch. "All right then. But I have had enough of Chinese food. Let's go to Angelo's."

Just after putting their coats on, Sherlock's phone rang. He picked it up, listened and said: "Where."

The phone call only lasted for a few seconds.

"Come on," Sherlock smiled widely saying this, "there's been a murder and Lestrade just called us in." There's something wrong with the crime scene."

Lestrade was back and there had been a murder. A week of boredom and now two cases. It really was Christmas. Sherlock really was exited.

"So he's back then." John replied giving Sherlock a disapproving look after seeing his happiness. He sighed. After all it was Sherlock. "I suppose you gonna ask him everything about his disappearing act instead of you concentrating on the death of the victim now."

"Well, the victim is already dead. We can't change that fact" Sherlock replied in a dry voice with a smirk. "We must deduce the killer by the traces he left behind. But Lestrade is still alive and can talk. And you know as well as I do, there were no traces to investigate. I can't make a proper deduction if information is still missing. So. He must deliver it."

As soon as they left the house, Sherlock and John took a cab and were heading to the crime scene. Sherlock immediately walked over to Lestrade.

"When did you come back?" Sherlock asked, in the mean time observing Lestrade's body to notice that around the eyes were more wrinkles and his hair was greyer. His haircut was somewhat different as well. Not really stunning. But although he could see it, didn't mean others saw it too. The guy even looked older too and he also gained a few pound. But he looked relaxed and his eyes were shining. Odd, at a crime scene. At least for Lestrade it was. Mostly his eyes looked old, sad and weary, seeing time and time again dead people, killed before their time. And most of the crimes were horrific.

"Hello, Sherlock, John, nice to see you again" Lestrade almost jubilated.

John was taken aback by the jovial greeting of Lestrade and he noticed that Sally Donovan was almost in shock. Although she didn't say the word 'freak' anymore, or to be exactly, not so often anymore, at least, he didn't hear her say it, she still didn't like Sherlock. And though she knew Lestrade liked the guy, she never heard him so exciting exclaim a greeting to them. Sherlock might be brilliant and see the changes Lestrade's body had endured, but he completely missed the joy and happiness that was addressed to him. Sherlock's reaction was as cold as a snowman.

"Where have you been?" ordering an answer.

Lestrade sighed. "Not the right time now, Sherlock," he replied. "I brought you here to look at the crime scene. Maybe after that we can talk?"

He turned and walked over to a different room. Before he entered he warned them that it was a bloody mess so that they wouldn't be shocked too much.

Lestrade hadn't overdone it. The room itself must have been complete white before the crime took place, but now the room really was a bloody mess. The windows and the walls, the floor and the ceiling were all covered with blood. Dots and stripes. And in the middle of it all stood a bed and on it lay the victim. Lestrade pointed at the room and said that forensics just had finished, so Sherlock could have a look.

As they walked in Lestrade confirmed that the red they saw really was blood, but not of the victim. The victim was a young female with blond hair, slim, tall and lay with folding hands on her chest on the bed. It looked like she was sleeping. A smile was on her face. Her body was surrounded by little white flowers. In her hands she held one red rose.

Sherlock took his magnifying glass and searched for clues. Lestrade and John were watching.

"John, come over here and tell me."

John walked over to the bed and examined the body. "As I see it she died by dehydration."

Sherlock walked over to Lestrade. "This is the place where she died. She must have decided that she wouldn't continue her life and choose death by dehydration. Her friend helped her."

"Oh," John responded, looking up at Sherlock. "Of course, keeping her mouth and lips wet so she wouldn't get thirsty. Then you die a peaceful death within 10 days to two weeks." He looked at the young women who couldn't cope life anymore and had chosen the last escape. At least she was at peace now, looking at her almost serene face.

"She killed herself?" Lestrade questioned not quite believing Sherlock's deduction.

"Obviously."

"And what about that blood?"

"I assume you look around you notice the room was bright white. A month ago they painted, sprayed it of whatever they did to the room to make it white. But something bad must have happened after that, because the room was still empty. She decided to kill herself and her friend helped her. Maybe she was looking forward to it to live here and he fulfilled her last wish by letting her die here. You can see by the bunch of flowers around her that he loved her deeply, giving her a rose in her folding hands. After that he lost it completely, smashing his hands to the wall" pointing at the door where a very big red spot was visible. "Then he cut himself so much, maybe trying to commit suicide, and danced wildly through the room, swaying his arms up and down and around, spraying blood all over the place. He certainly must have screamed, but considering that this block of flats is new, I say that tenants are few in this building, so I think it's hard to find a person who heard someone scream. He ran out of this building and I assume by the loss of blood he must have collapsed somewhere considering the fact that most of his blood is in this room. You probably find him in an hospital. And if you find the owner of this building you know the name of the tenant too."

Lestrade looked at Sherlock as if he didn't believe him.

"I'm curious." John looked at Sherlock. "Wouldn't there be a blood trail if he went out of this apartment and went outside? I didn't see a trail of blood on the stairs and in the hall."

"When finished 'dancing' he held his hands to his chest and ran out of the house. The little amount of blood still in his veins now seeped into his shirt or whatever he was wearing. By entering this building I saw two dark stains on the pavement a few metres away from the entrance. He must have collapsed there.

"You sure he cut his wrists? "Lestrade asked.

"Well, I didn't say he was smart. Cutting your wrists is a nasty way to kill yourself because it will take ages to die and it hurts like hell for it is almost impossible to cut your artery there. He should have slit his own throat by cutting his carotid artery. But then again, if you cut wrong, your brain lacks oxygen and you will suffer of brain injury the rest of your life.

"Sherlock" John yelled angry. Lestrade looked at Sherlock and sighed.

"Ok, I will treat it as a suicide after I find the friend, if he's still alive and will speak to other people too who knew her. When I'm done I will try to visit you".

"Really Sherlock," John grumbled after leaving the building, "you really should try to be nice to him. After all he considers you to be his friend.

"I have you".

"Yes, but you have him too, although you don't see it that way. He really was happy to see you and you treat him like he is disposable. When he comes to night I want you to be nice to him."

Sherlock looked at John and mumbled something John couldn't hear but he dare not ask. It probably wouldn't have been something nice although he could see Sherlock took his remark in consideration.

"Ok, let's go home."


	5. Lestrade's visit

**Chapter 5 Lestrade's visit**

Sherlock wouldn't go to Angelo anymore in case Lestrade would come earlier. John didn't agree with him, saying that he had to investigate the suicide and finding the boyfriend but Sherlock waved his objections away.

John went to the kitchen and walked to the fridge, almost certain he wouldn't find any food in it. After all Sherlock had visit Molly the other day. The fridge was occupied with 4 hands, 4 feet and one head. To his surprise Sherlock hadn't used the egg shelf and there were still some eggs in it. So toast and scrambled eggs than. He had to eat something. He thought it over and decided to make some for Sherlock too. After all, his body needed food too, although Sherlock despised that fact.

Sherlock grumbled as he saw the plate with food in front of him but the look John gave him, made him decide to eat at least something to get him of his back.

It was almost 10 o'clock in the evening that the doorbell rang. Sherlock got an exciting look and looked intensely at the door. Mrs. Hudson downstairs had opened the door and let Lestrade in. He greeted the lady and walked to Sherlock's room where he was greeted by John and to his surprise by Sherlock who, with a friendly voice, invited him to sit down. He looked at John and John looked at Sherlock and then smirked. Sherlock certainly had thought about his remark and had decided to act nicely. Surely he did it to get the answers more quickly but it was a nice change.

"Tea"? John asked.

"Yes please, I didn't had time today to drink a cuppa."

Sherlock looked at Lestrade. "You found the friend then?" in a friendly tone, already knowing Lestrade did.

Lestrade was a little taken aback by Sherlock's friendly behaviour, but then again, he knew him well enough to know that Sherlock could act nicely when he wanted too. He looked at John, who just entered the room with the tea, and saw a little smirk on his lips. He suddenly understood that John had talked to Sherlock. Nice way to spend an evening with friends then, but would they still be friends when he finished the tale or would they call someone from an asylum?

"Yes, like you said, he was in a hospital. We found the landlord and got his name. His name is James Holder and the victim was his girlfriend Lisa Green. It really is a sad story actually." He saw Sherlock squeezing his eyes, but no comment followed, so Lestrade continued the story knowing for sure John would like to know.

"They were a happy couple. James worked as a chauffeur and Lisa as a maid. They weren't very rich but they managed. James got a wage increase so they decided to hire a bigger apartment. The small one would soon be to small because she was expecting a child." John gasped, thinking of the young woman.

"What happened?"

They got that apartment you saw and they painted it white. It was her favourite colour. The colour of peace and angel wings, fresh snow and the wedding dress she was going to buy. When the room was ready they invited her parents for dinner. Unfortunately on the way home to the couples flat their car crashed and the parents were killed instantly. James and Lisa survived the crash but Lisa was injured so they took her to the hospital. The crash was responsible for the miscarriage so she lost her unborn baby as well. When the doctors examined her more, just to be on the safe side, they discovered Lisa had cancer and it had been spread already. It wasn't treatable anymore. It was too much for her to handle so she decided to join her parents and her unborn baby before her body would fall apart. The doctor send her to a psychiatrist, but he declared her death wish unfounded because it all happened recently, so it was too soon to think things straight over. She discussed it with James. He didn't want her to leave but he could understand her wish and in the end he agreed to help her. She found on the internet a way to do it. The killing would take some time so it would be hard for James. She wanted to die in that room so he placed a bed there and brought her over. He took care of her till she died. Then he completely lost it and yelled and screamed and tried to kill himself as well, by cutting his wrists. He couldn't remember why he left the apartment and that he had collapsed on the pavement. When I visited him this evening he told me this story. There were some friends of him there who confirmed his story. The files of the hospitals confirms Lisa's medical history and we found the report about the car crash. So, your conclusion was correct, it was a suicide."

"That really was a sad story," John said.

"Mmm" was all what Sherlock said. John could hear in his mind Sherlock's voice _"caring is not an advantage"_ but Sherlock behaved nicely and didn't say anything and let Lestrade and him digest this tragedy.

After a few minutes of silence (quite a record for Sherlock for dying of curiosity) Sherlock said to Lestrade: "well, the case is solved and you said you would tell us tonight where you have been for the past week, although to my opinion you must have been gone for at least a year or something."

John looked at Sherlock and exclaimed: "more than a year?" What do you mean. More than a year. He was only away for a one bloody week. You completely drove me mad with your questions if I had heard something from Greg."

"Isn't it obvious? He has more wrinkles and his hair is greyer and he even did lose some hair. He gained a few pound and has a new haircut but that you can manage within a week. The rest takes more time to accomplish. So he must have been away for more than a year. Well"?.

John looked from Sherlock to Greg who looked astonished at Sherlock, his face showing complete amazement. Not only the fact that Sherlock had missed him and bothered John about it, but also he noticed the truth without even knowing what had happened after he left with the Doctor. Sherlock wouldn't call the asylum if he told the story, John probably would. Maybe bring them both there. He for telling and Sherlock for believing.

"After you texted me" Lestrade began, "I just finished work and I had managed to take the week of. I was curious what you wanted, so I went up to see you. As I entered the restaurant I didn't immediately see you but before I knew it a guy stood in front of me, asking me if my great-grandfather's name was Riddell. I knew my grandmother's name was Riddell, so I assumed her father's name was Riddell too. When I confessed this, he beamed of excitement and invited me over to his table because he had something to show me. Then I noticed you two. You saw me but then you looked immediately away and your eyes were fixed on the table next to you. I thought that's why you texted me and the inviting man seemed to be head of that table, so I tried to figure out what was so important that I had to come. He introduced himself as the Doctor and his companions as Amy, Rory and River Pond. Then he showed me a picture of him, the couple, a man, a lady and my great-grandfather John Riddell."

"How can you be sure it was your great-grandfather?" John asked.

"Because he asked me if I had a necklace made of animal teeth. When I was 8, my grandmother gave me a necklace made of teeth. She told me this necklace belonged to her father, who was a great huntsman. The teeth were of dinosaurs and during a hunt he had collected them. The most beautiful lady he had ever encountered had made it into a necklace, so he would remember her. They couldn't stay together because she was already married. I only got it because I was the first man, boy then, in the family. She had a picture of him, posing somewhere in the Savannah in Africa. The resemblance was astonishing together with the said necklace. It had to be him. When I was a kid, I really believed he hunted dinosaurs and the necklace was made of that. But when I grew up I thought the story was bullocks. I'd forgotten the whole necklace and story. Till the picture he showed me. He told me the woman on the picture was the one who made it for John."

"You buy that"? John asked disbelieving at Sherlock.

"Yes" Sherlock with a dry voice answered. "You saw the picture too. You saw the resemblance. If Lestrade say he has a necklace and those folks talks about it without knowing Lestrade must have one, than it is obvious, isn't it?"

John looked shocked. He wouldn't believe it. But facts were everything to Sherlock. He doesn't allow himself to be led by fantasy stories. So it must be.

Sherlock took the picture that had stood next to his chair the whole week and gave it to John.

"I said the weapons were not from around here. Why don't you believe the inevitable."

"You have the picture"? Lestrade said. The Doctor went back but they said that someone already collected it and left an address. I should have known it was you.

"If he knows I have it, why didn't he come to collect it."

"He told me it wasn't time for you to meet."

"What do you mean, 'meet'".

"When he came back from the restaurant he looked at me and said with a big grin on his face that he was getting old and slow in putting the dots together. But it was too early to meet the person who has his picture, but he was looking forward to it. It would be quite entertaining. He clapped his hands together and beamed with excitement. He said..."

At that moment Lestrade's phone sounded. "Just a moment" he said to John and Sherlock. John still looked shocked but not so shocked as in the beginning. It looked like the truth started to work around in Johns head and he started to believe it.

Greg put the phone to his ears and listened. After what seemed a few minutes Greg exclaimed: "What? Of course I'm telling." ... "I didn't have to. He already figured it out." ... Greg continued: "You sure? He knows, you know. He saw." ...Greg confirmed: "All right, but don't blame it on me if he finds out the truth." The intervals only lasted a few minutes but it seemed very important because Greg's demeanour changed during conversation. He became mad. Really really mad. If it was a cartoon, thunderclouds would have been drawn above him.

When finished he said: "Sorry, got to go."

"What about the story," John replied.

Sherlock looked at Greg and said with a sigh: "Thanks Lestrade for stopping by." Lestrade couldn't help it. He knew who phoned Lestrade. Still polite to Lestrade, against all odds, although you could see that Sherlock was angry.

Lestrade was still shocked by Sherlock's friendly manner. He almost assumed Sherlock must have taken some drug, otherwise instead of angry he must be furious. Not knowing anything. It would drive him out of his mind. He looked at John who looked as confused as he was. But angry and not yelling at him or giving sarcastic remarks? Really scary. Suddenly it came to him that Sherlock must have figured out who phoned him and didn't held it against him. He silently let out a sigh of relief. Of course Sherlock noticed. You can't hide anything from him. But still, he stayed friendly.

Although Sherlock may not consider Greg to be his friend, Greg considered Sherlock to be his. And though sometimes his behaviour was antisocial and childish he found the man amazing. It was hard for him not telling and to walk away. The story was to good and it certainly would entertain Sherlock's mind. But he would figure it out soon enough, that was the only consolation he had after meeting the Doctor.

"Don't hesitate to call me when you have case, Lestrade." Sherlock stood up and walked over to the window. He took his violin and started to play.

"Goodnight"

"Yeah, goodnight," John replied, watching Greg go. Then he looked at an angry Sherlock. Luckily he had his violin. Poor violin.

He figured out that he wouldn't get any answers to night so John decided to go to bed. Hopefully he managed to fall asleep during Sherlock's performance. Maybe a good night sleep would bring some answers in the morning. Or maybe it was all a bad dream.

_authors note: Sorry, couldn't resist, the interference. Grin. I'm sure you've figured out who phoned him._


	6. The Interference

**Chapter 6 The interference **

Mycroft put down the phone. He recalled the conversation with Lestrade. He exactly knew what he had said but was surprised by the answers Lestrade had given him.

With a patronizing voice he spoke: "Hello Lestrade, I notice you are with my brother now. Socializing? Drinking tea and having a quick conversation about the case you two solved this afternoon? I suppose the story of the Doctor is next? Telling him where you've been and what you have experienced and who your travel companion really is and al the adventures you have endured. I am right, aren't I? You're telling." _"What? Of course I'm telling." _"You told him then that you travelled with an alien in a box who can fly through time and space? That you are in fact a time traveller?" _"I didn't have to. He already figured it out."_ Well, my call isn't social, but national. I'm ordering you to put all your stories away, locked in your mind so no one will figure out that there are aliens among us. Suppose John starts to blog about it, people would panic. There will be raids in the streets. Then the police has to work harder to stop them and the army must help them. If you keep quiet, nothing happens" _"You sure? He knows, you know. He saw."_ "Of course he saw. But can he belief his eyes? He needs confirmation from you and if you don't give him that, he has nothing. This is a case of national security. I don't want you to spread around one single word about the Doctor and his companions. Do we have an agreement?" _"All right, but don't blame it on me if he finds out the truth."_

So his younger brother had already figured out that Lestrade had travelled in time. He already knew about the Doctor and his Tardis and now he knew about time travel. That he had made an acquaintance with the Doctor was a lie. He had seen the footage from the restaurant. It was a pity the camera wasn't focused on the picture. It must have been something quite shocking, considering the shocked faces John and Sherlock showed. But Lestrade's face was surprised, not shocked. So Sherlock must have asked Lestrade to come over, so Lestrade had something to do with the picture as well. The fact that he left with the group and disappeared for over a week was enough to figure out for Mycroft that the Doctor had took him on a holiday. As he noticed Lestrade entering Sherlock's flat tonight, he immediately saw the difference between the new Lestrade and the Lestrade from a week ago. His brother certainly had seen it too and figured out it must be time travel. He didn't believe his brother really believed in that kind of 'nonsense' but he must have implemented his own rule. Whenever you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how mad it might seem, must be the truth. Of course he understood that Lestrade was going to tell about his travels. He couldn't let that happen. So he stopped him. It seemed to him that he was just in time to stop him. A few more minutes later and the word was out. If he hadn't been busy with the treaty with Germany he immediately would have noticed Lestrade's visit to his brothers house and would had taken precautions earlier. But he couldn't stop his little brother. He was sure Sherlock would find a way to meet the Doctor and two crazy geniuses in one room, trouble would definitively come. Especially knowing the Doctor. He was a magnet for trouble. He really hoped with all his heart that the Doctor and Sherlock would never meet. But then again. He remembered that Sherlock said that he had something from the Doctor and that the Doctor had something that belonged to Sherlock. Considering the fact that Sherlock never met the Doctor maybe he referred to Lestrade the Doctor took with him. But what did Sherlock possess? He really didn't want to raid Sherlock's home.

And how to keep the Doctor away from Sherlock. He could call him. After all he had his phone number. He got that one from captain Jack Harkness of Torchwood Three. The captain had been very reluctant but he had persuaded him. Just in case of an emergency. After all Earth had been attacked several times and the Doctor had stopped it. But they had paid the price. There's always a price to be paid. Thinking about the attack by the aliens in Downing Street the Doctor managed to stop them from destroying earth. Unfortunately Downing Street 10 blew up in the process. Only Harriet Jones survived. Then she became prime minister. When there was a threat with the Sycorax, she and her senior aide Alex Klein as translator were beamed on board that vessel, only to encounter the Doctor again who managed to make peace and let the Sycorax go without bloodshed. Spite the fact that they were leaving, Mrs. Jones ordered Torchwood to destroy the Sycorax ship, which they did. Though her comment was that the Doctor wasn't always there to save the earth, didn't matter. The Doctor was very, very angry, because they left in peace, according to Mr. Klein. He remembered the conversation.

The Doctor had said: "Don't challenge me, Harriet Jones! 'Cause I'm a _ completely_ new man! I could bring down your government with a _single_ word!

Harriet had replied and said: You're the most remarkable man I've ever met. But I don't think you're quite capable of that.

The Doctor then said: "No, you're right. Not a single word; just six. Although she didn't believe it, he did it. Mr. Klein told him that the Doctor walked over to him and said: "Don't you think she looks tired?" Six words that began a chain of events leading to her downfall.

Then there was that Dalek and Cybermen attack. He managed to fight them of and send them into the void, whatever that was. Torchwood one was destroyed in the process. After all they were responsible for the coming of the Cybermen and the Daleks in the first place. Of course the Doctor would destroy it. He couldn't blame that one on queen Victoria, although she was responsible for setting up Torchwood in the first place because of the Doctor. She must have thought that every alien was a threat. Luckily the Doctor was on their side. But then again. Mrs. Jones mistake toppled her government with just 6 words, spoken by the Doctor. In the Doctor's opinion the Sycorax were slaughtered. The Doctor really was a dangerous man. But the Doctor believed in second changes, Sherlock didn't. Combined? What may come of it. He really didn't want to find out.

He thought it over and over again. If he would call, then maybe the Doctor insisted in visiting his brother, because he was curious. That was one of his many flaws. It always led him in trouble, wherever he went. If he didn't, he couldn't be sure either. What if the Doctor knew Sherlock possessed something belonging to the Doctor. He surely would visit to collect it. So, if he raided Sherlock's flat and found the item, then there still was no guaranty that the Doctor wouldn't visit Sherlock, because he still believed his brother possessed that thing. He had to make a decision soon, otherwise he would be too late. But first, he must get some sleep. Hopefully the Doctor wouldn't decide to come to night.

For the last time he went through the footage and then he saw. That's it! He really must be tired.

The next day he visited his brother, together with a few of his 'minions' as Sherlock used to call them. After Mrs. Hudson opened the door, he greeted her but immediately walked up to Sherlock's room. It was early in the morning and John and Sherlock weren't up yet. Sherlock had played the violin till 6 o'clock and then went to bed.

"Look around" he ordered the men.

After 5 minutes flat, they found the picture next to the armchair. Mission accomplished and of they went.

John stood up around 8 but didn't notice there had been visitors. When Sherlock awoke, it was almost 12. He immediately saw that they had had company. He walked over to his chair and noticed the picture was missing.

Sherlock growled. John looked up from his newspaper.

"Good morning. Something the matter?"

"Mycroft stole the picture."

"Mycroft stole the picture? How did you know it was him? And when did he steal it? And how did he know we had it in the first place. Even Greg didn't know."

"Greg?"

"Lestrade"

"Oh, him he said with a disdain voice. It's obvious isn't it?"

"No, to me it isn't."

"Those stupid little brains of you all." Sherlock snarled.

John looked offended, although he knew by now that Sherlock couldn't help it that his brain was superior to others. But he wasn't the guy who let him get insulted so he shouted: "Sherlock!"

Sherlock looked a little shocked, squeezed his eyes a little as if thinking things over and then said: I'm sorry John. It's not your fault you have such little brains. Still an insult, but one with an apology. Progress in process.

It's obvious isn't it. Who has so much power to stop Lestrade from telling his adventure. Of course it was my brother. He forbade him to tell about his meeting with that Doctor. As I see it he doesn't want me to know more about him. He already knew I would like to meet the guy because I asked the Doctor's phone number and I said I had something belonging to that man. He figured out that it must have been the picture. Probably seen the footage from the restaurant. So to stop me from giving it to the Doctor, he picks it up.

"Why would Mycroft interfere?"

"He probably had said something about national security and the fact that the world isn't ready to know about aliens. Whoohoo, they might go panicking, Sherlock replied in a sarcastic voice, hands raised in the air.

John wasn't sure about the visit but then again, he wasn't so observant as Sherlock. Probably stuff had been replaced and Sherlock noticed that immediately and he didn't.

When he thought it over, he became angrier by the minute. It really sucks that they were in the house and went through their stuff. They didn't have the right!

Sherlock saw the emotions ran over Johns face.

Then John looked up and looked Sherlock in the eye. "Get it back!" he ordered.

Sherlock stared at John. The fact that Mycroft had busted in and took the picture without their consent was enough for John to become furious. And now John expected him to take revenge. The fact that their privacy had been violated didn't bother him, more the fact that Mycroft had taken the picture. But John was always an ordinary man with ordinary needs like caring about others, being polite etc. Everything he lacked, or didn't show because he didn't found it necessary. But now this John was almost a new John. Interesting. Of course he knew John wasn't the man who took his moods and behaviour for granted. He stood up against him from time to time but never had he seen him this angry. And the fact that he wanted the picture back was just his way of telling that he didn't want to be pushed around by anybody. Not even the queen herself. Or her 'minion' like Mycroft.

"You must get it back! John fumed.

Sherlock thought it over and then gave John a very big smile.


	7. The Exhibition

_Author's note: Sorry my dear readers that it took a while to update this story. I had a lot of parties to attend (funfunfun). I managed to make this chapter (sorry, it's a bit short) and I already started on the next (and sorry about that but that's gonna take a while too because I have more parties to attend too the next couple of weeks (more fun), so please be patient). Enjoy the chapter._

Chapter 7 Exhibition

When John saw Sherlock's big smile, he knew Mycroft surely would had it coming. He calmed down a little. Still angry because they violated his rights but he trusted Sherlock enough to know he would find a way to make them pay. He really was looking forward to that.

Sherlock took his phone and called Lestrade.

"I need the phone number of a feisty one. Can you text it?"

Greg exactly knew what Sherlock was talking about. He thought it over. He agreed to say nothing about the Doctor and his companions, but did it imply texting a phone number? Of course he knew it did, but then again, he didn't sign a vow of secrecy. He still was mad at Mycroft, the bastard. But probably Mycroft was already bugging his house, phone, office and everything else he didn't think of. He wanted to get even with Mycroft and help Sherlock without losing his job. He had to think quickly.

"I don't have it, he replied. Anyway, I was going to call you about a cold case. We got some new evidence, maybe you can connect the dots. It concerns a necklace. I can't give you the file, but maybe you can come to me that you can read it?"

"It probably would be a waste of my time" he said with a disdain voice. "But Molly's head must acclimatize so we can come over in the meantime. We'll be on our way."

"Molly's head?" Greg sounded shocked.

"A head, given by Molly. Do try to keep up Lestrade."

Greg heard the smile in Sherlock's voice. He must have figured out that the cold case was an excuse. He looked at his desk where a pile of files was stacked. On top was a cold case. Of course he couldn't and wouldn't fake evidence but he didn't say he had a necklace. He only spoke of it. The only new evidence was a statement from a person who told the police that the victim before his dead had a quarrel with his neighbour, something the neighbour hadn't told the police. It was about money the neighbour had borrowed. If someone was watching and listening... If they would confront him with the fact that he had spoken about a necklace and the evidence was borrowed money, he always could say that it was a slip of the tongue. He would be glad if this was over and Sherlock knew everything. Then he didn't have to hide anything anymore. Why were the Holmes brothers so complicated. He sighed.

Within half an hour Sherlock and John arrived at the Yard and walked over to Greg's desk.

"Glad you could come. Here's the file. I hope you can find it. I have to interrogate somebody. I'll probably be back within half an hour."

Greg left the office, leaving John and Sherlock behind with the file. Sherlock looked at the pictures and then gave them to John. The coroner's report was explicit. The victim was killed by a blow on his head with an ashtray. Picture of said ashtray was also included in the file. As Sherlock read the file, including the new statement of the quarrel, he came to the last page. There it was. A paper with a so-called statement that a week ago a couple had dinner with their son in law and daughter and that they talked about a necklace belonging to Mr. Riddell. Their address and phone number was also written in the statement. On the statement was a note with Lestrade's handwriting on it. 'Is this filled correctly or does this belongs in another file and who's file should that be?'

Sherlock smiled. The case in fact was boring, just as he had predicted. But the last page was beautiful. Not only a phone number, but an address as well.

After three quart of an hour, Lestrade walked in again.

"And, did you find it? Have you read it all?"

"Yes. Just as I said. Boring. So predictable. The neighbour did it. He didn't intent to, but when he came over they quarrelled and he lost control. He took the ashtray and hit him. Then he came to his senses and saw his neighbour dead. He thought about the consequences. He cleaned the ashtray and left the house hoping you would never find out. The evidence is the statement but that's thin. You probably find more in the victim's bank statements and the neighbours payment to someone. Oh, and I would recommend an update on the file. Some information is twice filed and some isn't related at all. Did you had an trainee or do you all file like this? No wonder crime is evolving in London."

"I will see into that. Thanks' for coming and solving." Greg understood that Sherlock had seen the paper. In fact, he shouldn't had doubted that. After all Sherlock noticed everything. He sighed and called Sally to bring the neighbour in for questioning.

As they left the Yard, Sherlock didn't call for a cab. When a few cabs already passed them by, John asked: "are we going to walk home?"

"Of course not, but this way we're almost sure that if one of the cabs is related to Mycroft, we're not in it. And to be sure, we'll let some more pass by just as well. And watch the number plates and the cabbies. As we know from a previous case, a cabbie can be dangerous.

"So where are we going."

"First, let's get something to eat."

"What? You never eat when you're on a case."

"It's to let Mycroft know that there is no case."

"But?" And then John understood. "Right. Camera's."

He smiled. "Ok, let's eat something."

After a quick snack they left the shop and went home. Still some cab's came by but Sherlock didn't pay any attention to them. At least, that's what it looked like. Suddenly he crossed the street and stopped a cab by raising his hand.

"Come on John, you did say you wanted to go the museum."

John crossed the road as quickly as he could and figured out that the address in the file must be near the museum. Then he remembered there was an exhibition about practice of medicine throughout the ages. It was a good excuse to go there because Sherlock never went to museums but now he had an excuse because he was a doctor. He was curious what Sherlock was up to.

After they entered the museum, they went straight to the exhibition where a young man was standing near a glass panel. John recognized him immediately from the dinners, and thought about the strange conversations they overheard. Sherlock feigned interest in the exhibit and John did the same. They walked slowly towards the man who feigned interest in operation instruments from the Roman period. As they came closer the young man said, with some awe in his voice, that the scalpels the Romans used didn't change much over the last two thousand years.

"You know of course, you were a Roman" Sherlock replied.

"I was, but I didn't need them." The young man looked up and saw Sherlock and John standing next to him near the glass panel. He gave them a brief smile and said "Hello".


	8. The Conversation

Chapter 8 The Conversation

John smiled at the young man and gave his hand. "John Watson".

The young man shook his hand and said "Rory Williams."

"Williams?" Sherlock asked. "As I remember correctly when you were sitting during dinner in the Phoenix Palace with your wife, daughter and son-in-law the Doctor and when DI Lestrade came at your table, the Doctor introduced you as Rory Pond."

John looked at Sherlock and thought 'how strange are his brains functioning. He can't remember Greg's name but in this case he knows the surname is different. He only heard it a week ago and just once.' He didn't remember it at all.

"Long story" Rory replied. "Well, if you want to meet the wife, come with me." He knew from the newspapers that Sherlock Holmes was a consulting detective and Doctor John Watson was his flatmate and went with him on cases and wrote their stories down. Sometimes when they were at home from their travels with the Doctor, they read about the cases those two solved. The Doctor had told them that in other universes those two were fictional characters. Very famous and loved. But in this one they were real people and Sherlock was really as clever as those stories said he was.

Sherlock looked pleased. Oh, he really enjoyed it. All the answers were coming and he would get even with Mycroft.

As they followed Rory, John saw how excited Sherlock was. "How did you know he was here?" John asked.

"You read the file too. You must have seen the last page."

"Yes?"

"You saw Lestrade's note that it wasn't filed correctly?"

"Yes?"

"You remember I phoned Lestrade's about the feisty's one phone number and he gave us a cold case? The last page described our dinner companions from last week with their address and phone number. As you recall, I left the office for five minutes. In that time I went to another office and phoned from there. I'm sure that one wasn't bugged. Luckily Rory just finished his shift and agreed to meet us in a public place. I'm sure Mycroft wouldn't see it like that, that it was accidentally of course, but it is what it is," he said with a big smile.

John sighed and rolled his eyes. Of course, how could he have missed that. "Brilliant" he said with a smile.

Sherlock gave him a genuine smile in return.

Rory heard their conversation and thought 'He's just like the Doctor. That's probably why the Doctor spoke so high of him. But I think he also forgets that he brings other people in danger just as the Doctor does.'

He turned around and asked: "Mr. Holmes. When you solve crimes. Do you put the life of others in danger to solve the case or do you put a human life above all else?"

Sherlock's smile disappeared. He stood still. He thought about this question. He knew the right answer would give him answers. The wrong one wouldn't provide him answers. Then the meeting would be off. But he didn't care about people. He was in for the case, the thrill. He enjoyed the puzzle, the entertainment of the brain. But he was Sherlock. He could pretend he cared. He did it many times before and people bought the act but he mustn't overdo it. He had seen the way Rory observed him. So, give the correct answer: "If I don't catch the criminal, he surely would make more victims."

Rory sighed. "Yeah. I thought you would say that. You surely would like the Doctor. You're both the same."

"The same? What do you mean? Same!" Sherlock sounded almost shocked. He didn't see that one coming. He really had miscalculated Rory's judgement about him. But how could he? He didn't know him. Then he said with a disdain voice "As I recall I heard you say he blew up a whole Cyber Legion just to make a point. I never blew up anything in my whole life, except some test tubes at St. Barts. And he had a lot of debtors to help him fight a war. I never was in an army. John was, pointing at John." He would have said more but John reacted immediately.

"Oh, great, now I come in" John reacted on Sherlock's remark. Then John gave a slight smile to Rory and said: "It's true though. I was in the army and he doesn't put me in danger, I'm running to it myself."

Rory now took in John's brave posture. As he watched John, Sherlock was deducing Rory. At least he tried. That he was a nurse was obvious, but the man had wisdom beyond his years. He had seen that the first time when he watched the couple during dinner. Now he saw him face to face. He should have guessed that Rory wouldn't buy his act. In fact, he should have known. He already had noticed Rory had wisdom beyond his years. Than it must be a fact that he had been a centurion. It made sense. The man must have lived some two thousand years. He must have seen many wars, even fight in them. He remembered some stories about the Romans. They were still available in his mind palace because he liked them and therefore had not deleted them. The man must have seen a lot of death. Than it made sense the man valued life above anything else. That would explain why the man became a nurse. He saw Rory searching for something in John. Then Rory gave the doctor a smile and said: "You're Amy."

"Excuse me?" Now John looked shocked.

"Trying to make a change" stating the fact. "Come, meet my wife." He turned around again and now headed to the cafe of the museum.

Sherlock wanted to ask Rory about his centurion years and his decision to become a nurse but even he knew that it wouldn't be wise to bring it up just after the conversation they had. He might endanger the whole meeting and he still wanted answers. He decided to leave it to John whose face still looked shocked. Rory seemed pleased with him. He would stay behind in the background although that would be very hard for him. His curiosity burned inside him.

When they entered the cafe the red-haired woman sat at a table near the window. In front of her stood a cup of tea and a plate with Jammie Dodgers. Rory walked over to her and they gave each other a kiss. John could tell that Sherlock thought it was too goldfish'ish but he liked it. The way they expressed their love. He hoped that one day he would find someone as well.

"Is he coming?" Rory asked pointing at the cookies in front of her. "Those are his favourites" explained Rory to John and Sherlock knowing for certain that they knew he was speaking about the Doctor.

"No, but I was hungry" she replied in a lively tone. "After all, you ordered me to come here because those guys wanted answers and I hadn't eaten since breakfast. And you know I'm accustomed to these cookies because that's almost the only thing the Doctor has in his kitchen nowadays. It was the first thing I came up with when the waitress came. So yeah, Jammie Dodgers it is."

'Yep' Sherlock thought. 'Feisty.' Now he could see her eye to eye, he was convinced that the first deductions he did on them both were correct. But there was more to discover. He thought about Rory's remark that John was the same as Amy. He wouldn't describe John as feisty. Easy to anger, yes. Not afraid to fight or argue, yes. Those were parts of feisty, but excitable? Spirited? Tenacious? Energetic? Spunky? Maybe sometimes. But maybe that wasn't what Rory meant, but what did he mean then? Something with feelings? He didn't know. He should ask John later, but then he remembered that John was also taken aback by Rory's remark that he was 'Amy, trying to make a change.' What change? A better world?

They all sat down and ordered some tea. "Ok," Amy said, "talk! Why do you two want to meet us?"

John looked at Sherlock and waited for him to begin but Sherlock was now very reluctant. Noticing Sherlock wouldn't start the conversation, John decided to begin with their meeting in the restaurant and that they had found the picture they left behind.

"You've got it?" Amy said.

"Well, not anymore. Someone came and took it away." John wasn't pleased to confess.

"The Doctor came?" Rory asked.

"No, it was my brother" Sherlock admitted.

"Your brother? Why would your brother have an interest in a picture, with to him unknown people on it and steal it" Amy scoffed. "Or, does he know us. Have you talked about us?"

John looked at Sherlock and decided that the conversation didn't go the way they planned. She was clever. He decided to put their cards upon the table.

"The first time we 'met' you two by accident, we were eavesdropping your conversation and we were intrigued. When we left the restaurant we saw you suddenly run towards an alley and then we saw a blue box disappear. The next time, also a coincidence, after all, you came into the restaurant when we were already there. You got a table next to ours and we heard your conversation again. This time your daughter and the Doctor was there as well and you gave the Doctor a picture. From our point of view we thought that Lestrade was in it. We know Lestrade from Scotland Yard because we solve cases together." He glanced at Sherlock and saw him roll his eyes but he didn't interfere so John continued. "Sherlock called him and Lestrade came. Then you invited him at your table and then you all left. We followed you because we were curious where you were heading with Lestrade. Then we saw a blue box disappear again. We went back to the restaurant because you had left in a hurry and left the picture behind. So we took it because Sherlock wanted to meet the Doctor. He searched on the internet about the Doctor and a blue box and decided to call his brother. His brother works for the government." The last sentence John said apologising.

Sherlock interfered mumbling. "Is the government."

"He thought that maybe Mycroft (that's his brother) must know about the alien and that he must have his phone number. Sherlock had agreed that he had something in his possession that belongs to the Doctor. Lestrade came and would have told us his adventures but he received a phone call and abruptly stopped talking. The call came from Mycroft. I think that Mycroft decided it would be a threat and therefore also decided to steal the picture so we wouldn't meet the Doctor. So we called you. We wanted to meet you two because first we wanted to meet the Doctor and second; Mycroft stole the picture and we wanted to get even with Mycroft. I think Lestrade would join us in this too. He was very angry that he wasn't allowed to tell his story. I was very furious when I discovered Mycroft visited us without our consent. He had violated our rights. He took what wasn't his. That's our story."

Rory and Amy listened to their story and then Amy smiled. "Well, I can see why the Doctor speaks so high about you two" she said to John and Sherlock. Don't worry. We'll let him know that your brother has the picture and that he had stolen it from you because you wanted to return it to him and your brother wouldn't. Oh, is he in for a treat" she said with a grin. "You already heard that the Doctor can be a very dangerous man, and those who do him wrong... Well, did you know that he tumbled Harriet Jones' government with only six words? I think Mycroft knows this and is afraid what would happen if you two would meet the Doctor. Maybe he thinks England would fall."

By the way, Lestrade was a great asset to the Tardis. We had a lot of adventures. The two of them stood up. "Well," Amy said, "nice meeting you two but we'll have to go now. I'll call the Doctor and tell them your story. We can tell you this. The next time you get his phone number but, this she said to Sherlock: "I'm sorry, but it isn't time for you to meet the Doctor. Yet."

Before the two knew it, the couple had left the cafe.


	9. The Visit

_Authors note: Thanks Black Night for your reply. I'll have edited the 8th chapter and I'll do my best to avoid this in the future_.

Chapter 9 The visit

Sherlock had to admit that the couple was quick. They stood up and before he knew it they were gone. He wasn't pleased about the whole conversation but at least they promised him he would get the Doctor's number. While he was thinking his phone suddenly rang. He took his phone and saw who called him.

"Mycroft," he said with a scornful voice. "Did the government tumble?"

"I see you have met the couple then."

"Yes."

"I thought I made it clear that you must leave it alone. After all, there's no need to meet him anymore."

"Goodbye Mycroft" Sherlock said in a sarcastic tone. "Don't let de bedbugs bite you" and ended the conversation.

He smirked at John and said: "Don't worry John, we'll get him. I know now for sure that he's worried about the bedbugs. Is it gonna be me or does he gets a visit from the Doctor. Surely he really hopes it's gonna be me after what Amy told us about bringing down the government with only six words. Come John, let's go home."

The next day around 8 o'clock John woke up. Although he had a day off, he wouldn't waist it in bed. He wasn't that tired. He decided to have a big breakfast with lots of tea. Sherlock already left the flat, probably over to Molly for some new body parts. He really didn't want to know, especially the tests they were going to endure. After breakfast he walked over to his armchair and sat himself down. He took the newspaper and started reading. Unfortunately the news was very depressing. War, unemployment, etc. etc. The only positive news was about a man who'd won the lottery. But then again, the others would surely be upset by losing it. Even the weather was bad. Rain and cold for the next two days. He was glad he had the day off, but going out in this weather wouldn't be nice. He hoped Greg wouldn't call. He wasn't in the mood for a juicy murder or an excited flatmate.

Suddenly he heard a noise becoming louder and louder. Then he recognized it from the two times before. It sounded like the blue box. But that wasn't possible, was it? He looked up from his newspaper and saw at his right something blue fade in and out. How on earth was that possible? He blinked a few times but still no change. Then the sound stopped and the fading stopped and there it was. A big blue box in his living room. He still could see a part of the sofa peaking out behind it but the side table was gone. No! Yes. No. What? No, no, no, no. That wasn't possible. He almost pinched himself to make sure he was awake.

Suddenly the door opened and a young man came out of the box. He recognized him immediately from the dinner party. Although he wasn't a fashion expert he thought that you have to change your clothes now and then. But this guy? Still the same outfit as seen on the picture and from last time during dinner. Or he must have a dozen of this outfits including bow ties.

The man looked around and saw John sitting near the fireplace whose face looked utterly shocked. The man walked over to John and said with a big smile: "Hello, hello. Doctor Watson, I presume? I'm the Doctor." He grabbed his hand and shook it very enthusiastically. "How nice to meet you. I'm honoured. I really am. The great Doctor Watson, friend and biographer of the great Sherlock Holmes. I loved all your stories. You are an excellent writer" still shaking John's hand.

John was taken aback by the Doctor's jovial greeting and then his training kicked in. Which training he couldn't tell. That of the soldier responding to everything that could be life threatening or not or that of a Doctor to help immediately in life threatening situations or that of running around with Sherlock to catch serial killers and other rabble. He snapped out his 'shock' and looked at the man in front of him.

He responded to the Doctors greeting with: "All my stories?"

"I loved Baskerville. Great job you two did there. Really great."

"Baskerville? I don't know. We've never been to Baskerville. And I haven't written many stories yet."

"Oops, spoilers." The Doctor's happy face changed and he let go of John's hand. "Sorry, shouldn't have mentioned that. But now you know." And enthusiastically he concluded: "you two are gonna be great." He sniffed and then: "Is that tea? I would like a cuppa. Do you have a cuppa for me?"

"Sure." John stood up to go to the kitchen and thought about the strange man in his living room. He thought that Sherlock could speak quickly but this man surely was his equal. It seemed that the man had already been in his house for a quarter of an hour. In fact a few minutes had just past, in which the man had rattled at him, shaked his hand vividly and praised them. It looked like the man had an attention span of a five year old jumping from one subject to another. But then again. After what he had heard in the restaurant and the way Mycroft had behaved and Sherlock's explanation that this man was an alien he wasn't what he was showing, was he?

When John came back with the tea he expected that the Doctor was sitting in one of the chairs but in fact the Doctor was wandering around in the living room, poking at things, sniffing at the nicotine patches and then he saw the skull. He pointed at it and asked: "Yours?"

"No, not mine," John said, putting the tea on the side table near his chair. "Sherlock's."

"Really. How interesting." Before John knew it the Doctor had taken something out of his pocket what looked like a silver pen and pointed it at the skull. A buzzing sound came from the pen. After a few seconds the Doctor stopped the buzzing pen and put the pen up to his eyes and then he became very excited again. "How brilliant this is" he exclaimed.

John looked at it stoically, used to Sherlock's behaviour and said: "What is?"

The Doctor turned back on his heels and watched John. "No," he said, "no, I can't tell. Spoilers." And then turning around and saw the tea on the side table and asked: "Mine?"

"Yes."

"Do you have some Jammie Dodgers? I love those."

"Sorry, but we're out of biscuits. Sherlock used the last ones for some weird experiment."

"Why would he do that? What a waste of some delicious cookies." The Doctor sounded like a disappointed child. Then he took a few sips from his tea and put it down again.

"Well, come on then, no time to spare. I have more things to do." Before John knew what happened, the Doctor wandered off to the TARDIS. He left the door open and John assumed that the Doctor wanted him to follow. He thought it over but then again. Amy and Rory and even Lestrade came back so... And after the greeting he just received this morning, it didn't seem that the Doctor would be a threat to him. He took heart and followed the Doctor inside the TARDIS.

When he stepped in, he immediately stood still. The box wasn't a box anymore. He stepped out and yes. It definitively was a box. But looking from the outside looking in was a strange experience. But Sherlock had already pointed out that it had to be some portal but now it seemed that the box was just bigger on the inside. That's why all the people fitted in together without any trouble. Not a portal. Just a big, big room. In the centre was a console and behind that he saw his side table. How on earth was the side table in the TARDIS? He wanted to ask but he still was overwhelmed by the grandeur of the TARDIS. He walked over to where the Doctor was standing. He had a gleam in his eyes as if waiting for something.

"It's huge" John exclaimed.

The Doctor thought this over. "Well, most people say it's bigger on the inside, but 'huge' is good enough."

Before John knew what happened the Doctor snapped his fingers and the door behind John closed immediately. He walked over to the Doctor and saw the Doctor fiddle with some handles. He heard that noise again and before he knew it the Doctor said: "grab on to something, we're gonna land."

"Land? Where are we?" He hadn't noticed that they had left in the first place.

The Doctor smirked at John and said: "Mycroft's office." He winked his eyebrows. "You wanna see? After all I want my picture back."

Johns face changed in an instant. Of course he wanted it to see. He wouldn't miss it for the world. He laughed and said: "Oh, yes."

When Sherlock got home from the morgue he had expected to see John sitting in his chair, reading the newspaper. When that wasn't the case, he assumed that John went out for some shopping. Then he saw two mugs of tea on the side table near John's chair. He sat down in his chair and thought it over. Obviously somebody came and took John with him. But he couldn't deduce who and why.

Then he heard a sound he immediately recognized as the sound of the blue box. He saw it fading in and out in his living room and when the box completely was materialized in front of him, the door opened and John stepped out followed by the Doctor. The Doctor saw Sherlock sitting in his chair. He walked over to him and took his hand and gave it a very big shake.

"It's an honour," he said with a very big smile. "A great honour. Within a split second his face turned from happiness into sadness and it looked he was going to cry. He sniffed. Then he took heart, straightened his bow tie and gave Sherlock a note. He said with a very serious face: "This is my phone number. You know when it's time to call." Sherlock looked the Doctor in the eyes and saw a wisdom he never expected to see in anybody. And although he didn't understood what the Doctor meant by 'when', he knew that there would come a day that he couldn't fix it anymore and needed help from the Doctor. He understood. He nodded. The Doctor now looked at John and said: "I'm very sorry John, but it has to happen."

"What?" John asked.

The Doctor sniffed again and then as if someone switched a knob the Doctor smiled brightly again and said: "John will tell you what happened today. Well, I have to go now. Things to do, people to see. Can't stay." Before they knew it the Doctor rushed off to the TARDIS and disappeared in front of them.

Sherlock looked at John now. "Well John? What happened today?"

John shook of the cryptic remark and thought that Sherlock would explain it when the time was right. Then he said with a very, very big grin: "We visited Mycroft."

_Authors notes: My dear readers. Last chapter's coming up soon. Let's see what happens to Mycroft then._


	10. Taken Away

Chapter 10 Taken Away

Mycroft was sitting behind his desk and Anthea was standing next to him, fiddling with her phone and listening to what Mycroft ordered her to do. Suddenly they heard a whoosh whoosh sound. Mycroft looked away from Anthea and looked into his office. He saw something blue fading in and out and immediately he knew who was going to pay him a visit. From the outside you couldn't see him react on the fact that suddenly there was out of the blue a blue police public call box parked on his rug but his skin had turned a little paler. He never thought that something would ever get him out of balance but now he knew he had it wrong. The Doctor was coming for him...

The door opened and at full speed a man came out who's face looked very angry but Mycroft became distracted. He really couldn't believe his eyes. What on earth was the man wearing? It really was one of the strangest dress code he had ever seen. He immediately knew that that man was the Doctor. He had read the files. A genius with a strange dress code. But a genius none the less. And a dangerous one.

Then Mycroft saw another man behind the Doctor who he immediately recognized as Doctor John Watson, Sherlock's flatmate, blogger, friend and partner in crime.

Then his eyes fell on the Doctor's face and he noticed the Doctor's body language. The man was angry and it seemed the man became more angrier with every step he took heading to Mycroft's desk. He noticed the smirk on John's face. This time he didn't need to use any of his deduction skills. It was obvious. He swallowed. He knew what was coming. At least he thought he knew what was coming but then again. This man was the Doctor. Anything could happen. He hoped the Doctor would settle for a scolding. He really hoped that was all. Of course, knowing the Doctor's reputation it could also mean his downfall. But he was a Holmes. He would face it as he had faced many other problems, although they concerned only countries. This concerned his life. When he thought it over, he should have let Sherlock kept that picture. He shouldn't have interfered. He would have known that the Doctor would follow the picture and that he couldn't resist to meet a man like Sherlock Holmes because of his brain. On the other hand, why would he like to meet a man like Sherlock. Compared to the Doctor, Sherlock's brains were less developed. Although Sherlock was more than a goldfish, the Doctor always surrounded himself with them. Mycroft wondered why the Doctor would do that. But then again, the goldfish became always cleverer after travelling with the Doctor. Would that mean that they always were cleverer but never used their potential till after the Doctor's travels?

Anthea had looked up from her phone as well when the blue box started to appear. As an assistant of Mycroft she had read the file too and was wondering what it was that the Doctor needed. But then she also noticed the Doctor's body language. She said to Mycroft: "Shall I call out for help, Sir?"

Mycroft didn't answer but the Doctor immediately replied on Anthea's request. "Yes, help, yes please," the Doctor said. "He's gonna need that when I'm done with him."

Mycroft looked at Anthea and waved her away. "You can go" as if nothing happened and that there wasn't a bad angry Doctor walking up to his desk. His act of indifference still in place, although he looked a bit pale, John could tell.

"What were you thinking?" the Doctor scolded, as if Mycroft was a little boy who had stolen a cookie out of the cookie jar and had been caught by his mother. "Did you really think I didn't find out?" His eyes shooting daggers.

Anthea had intended to leave the room after being dismissed but the fact that the angry Doctor walked up so suddenly at Mycroft's desk and gave her boss a scolding made her paralyze. Immediately she understood now that the Doctor wasn't here for help or something but that her boss had made the Doctor very cross and now he had it coming. She turned pale when remembering that the Doctor was not only a protector of Earth but also a Destroyer of World's as his title was. He wouldn't, would he? No, he wouldn't destroy Earth because her boss...? She was sure Mycroft didn't want her to be a witness of this scene but at the moment she couldn't move a muscle. As if her feet were frozen to the ground. Her eyes were wide open with fear and even her mouth stood open, but not a sound came from it.

The Doctor placed his hands on Mycroft's desk and leaned in. "Do you really think that you have the authority to tell people how to live because you work for the British Government? Really? Do you believe it yourself?" He fumed when speaking to Mycroft. "You've read my file. You do know that after you all are long gone, I'm still here. Do you think it is wise for mankind to make me angry? Would you like that I stop taking care of earth because you 'humans' (the last word was spit out with disgust) behave like stupid ape's, jealous as another 'ape' is favoured by me, so that I wouldn't visit any apes anymore?"

John could tell that Mycroft was trying to say something as if there wasn't a scolding in the first place.

Mycroft noticed that with all his knowledge and diplomacy and all the other skills he possessed, he wasn't able to find words to make the Doctor see reason. He now knew there were none. He could say it was for queen and country, though the Doctor made it clear that he stood above all that. From the Doctor's point of view there couldn't be a queen and country over a five thousand years anymore. The Doctor had a point. His actions concerned the now. The Doctor's actions concerned the future.

"When I take a friend of mine with me on my travels, I expect that when he's coming home that he have a good story to tell to his friends. And what do I hear. You forbid him?" The last sentence was spit out with such venom that John thought if it was a bug who would get in contact with it, it would drop dead immediately. Mycroft stoic face started cracking.

"And then my picture. Your brother took it home, out of curiosity to meet me. And then you come. Go uninvited in their house and steal the picture, because you didn't want your baby brother to meet me? Well think again. Afraid that I would do something stupid like taking him with me or making him delusional or whatever reason you may have come up with?"

He sniffed as if to keep himself to calm down.

And then, John thought, this really was the scary part. The temper of the Doctor dropped and his voice sounded as if he was having a lovely conversation during a picknick on a sunny day. He straightened his bow tie. He smiled, but his eyes were still burning with anger and the words, although spoken in a soft tone, were harsh.

"You've read my file. You know I'm the Doctor. You must also know my other names others have given me. Every single one is telling you who I am. I'm the Predator, The Oncoming Storm, The Destroyer of Worlds, Fire and Ice. I'm the Valeyard. When I present myself like that I always advise others: "Basically, run!" When I walk away, I am kind. Others can kill you, I can make you suffer for eternity."

The Doctor sighed. "Why do you think I need company? For me? Oh no, no, no, not for me, although I enjoy the company. No, the company is for you, pointing at Mycroft now. My companions are there to save others from my wrath. Now I'm here with John. At the moment John is my company. Keeping me from stepping over a line. A line I draw myself."

"This time I let it go. Oh no, not because of you. If England would fall and you were the only person to safe it by contacting me. Think twice. I know you have my number but don't you dare to phone me. But in the future Sherlock's gonna need you and you're gonna be there for him. But next time, when you hurt one of my friends again in what way..."

He raised himself from the desk, straightened his bow tie again. Smiled a little sadly and said: "My former regeneration was kind. He only gave one warning. Consider this his warning." Then he looked at Anthea who still stood frozen.

"Would you give me my picture?" pointing at a picture standing behind Mycroft's desk. She snapped out of her stiffening and as the good assistant she was, she obeyed the Doctor's orders without questioning. She walked over to the picture and then she saw who was on it. She swallowed. Now she understood the whole conversation. She handed the picture over and said: "here you are sir."

The Doctor turned around and walked back to the TARDIS.

Mycroft sat at his desk, completely dumbfounded. He had hoped he would get a scolding, but he had forgotten, or blocked, he didn't know, that the Time Lord was capable of making you suffer for eternity. Especially when hurting his friends. He should have known that Lestrade after his trip with the Doctor was added to the Doctor's pile of friends. He now remembered the page where the aliases of the Doctor were mentioned. He had wondered about some but now he knew. He wished he didn't. He had seen it in the Doctor's eyes. The depths of death, slaughter, destruction and the utterly merciless. He now understood his need for 'goldfish'. To keep others safe. To save them from the Doctor himself. He swallowed again, looking pale. Then he saw the Doctor disappear into the Tardis and he let go a big sigh as if he escaped death. He felt... He didn't know what he felt, but he was glad that the Doctor went away. He had thought that although the scolding wouldn't be like a walk in the park, more like a walk through the jungle, a little harder, but not like this. He was certain that if he hadn't known who the Doctor is, the scolding wouldn't have affected him this much. But then again. The files made it clear that people who didn't know him listened to him. The man had an air of authority. Authority indeed. Knowing your enemy is also knowing your own strength. Once and never again, Mycroft thought.

John had watched the whole scolding the Doctor gave Mycroft. He never ever would have believed it if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes. Mycroft's boasting and attitude and indifference had disappeared as snow in the summer. The peacock had turned into a frightened sparrow. Mycroft looked very pale and his breath was out of control. His eyes were wide open and fear was written in it. In fact it was written all over his body. John thought about the conversation he overheard when the couple mentioned that armies fled by the mention of his name. Now he understood. If you knew who the Doctor was, then surely you wouldn't be standing in his way. Mycroft should have known that. After all the man had files about the Doctor. Still, Mycroft must have thought it was best for England, but foolish enough to 'upset' the Doctor. The scolding wasn't meant for him, but to be honest, it really gave him the creeps and he had been a soldier. Used to scary stuff. This was more scary than he had imagined. He was glad it was over. Although he didn't like Mycroft very much and the fact that he visited their house without their consent and stole the picture, he thought that this was too much punishment. On the other hand, to be honest, he was pleased to see the man startled for a change. Not so smug anymore. Then he grinned. Payback time had finished and nobody died. Just scared him of.

John watched the Doctor walking towards the TARDIS. John followed him. And then as if nothing had happened and the Doctor hadn't been angry at all he jovially turned to John and said: "Come on, John, time to get you home. I can see it in your face that you can't wait to tell Sherlock." And then as if he something remembered he looked at John and his face became sad. "I'm very sorry. It has to happen."

"What?"

He said with a sad smile: "You'll see. Spoilers."

Before the door closed John heard Anthea offering Mycroft some tea. Very British he thought with a smile.

O-O-O-O-O

A few years later.

In the TARDIS the phone rang. The Doctor took the call and said after hearing who called him: "It's Reichenbach, isn't it? Ok, I take you away."

_O-O-O-O-O_

_Authors note: My dear readers, reviewers, followers and favouriters. Thank you. Because of your reaction to my story it really motivated me to finish what I've started. I hope you liked it. I hope the English wasn't too bad. Please leave a review. I'm working on a new story now, which I will put online soon. _


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